On Saturday, the Golisano Training Center at Nazareth University hosted the Third Annual Festival of Inclusion, attracting thousands of attendees. The event, part of the Golisano Foundation’s Spread the Word Inclusion campaign, aimed to promote acceptance and inclusivity for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
More than 80 organizations, including WXXI, participated, offering a range of activities such as adaptive sports, sensory-friendly equipment, and therapy animals. Information on college programs was also available to attendees. The festival was free and open to the public, emphasizing the community’s commitment to inclusivity.
David Brown, President of the Family Initiative, a Florida-based nonprofit that supports children with autism, participated in the festival. Brown highlighted the importance of community support in fostering an inclusive environment.
“Our world is a better place when everybody’s engaged, and everybody is a part of it,” Brown said. “And you can tell by how much fun people are having, the richness of the dialogue and the engagement, just how special our families are and why we should all be relentless in our pursuit of inclusion, in every community across our country.”
Matthew Fico, the Community Outreach Coordinator of the Arc of Monroe, also emphasized the festival’s role in community integration. Fico noted the attractiveness of Monroe County and Rochester as inclusive communities.
“I’ve come across and met families that have literally moved from across the world to come to Monroe County and to Rochester because of how inclusive we are, how we allow people with disabilities to be able to find jobs, they have a place to live,” Fico said. “You know, just because has a disability doesn’t mean that they don’t want the same things in life that non-disabled people do.”
The festival featured not just fun and games but also provided valuable resources and information to individuals and families, promoting a more inclusive society for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
This story is reported from WXXI’s Inclusion Desk.
